Bronica SQ_Ai Metered Prism

Hi all,

I picked up an SQ-Ai outfit some time ago, and by and large have been happy

with it. Due to weight considerations I began to favour the Waist level finder

over the metered prism, which I am now looking to sell, I think it is metered

prism S, although I am not 100% sure.

However, it seems that having connected the metered prism to the camera, that

power is not getting to the prism. So what I want to know is this. Do the

batteries in the SQ-Ai body also power the meter in the prism? An exposure

reading comes up for a brief few seconds before it seems to go dead, although

the batteries were only changed recently.

I doubt there is a battery in the prism finder, but would like to be sure. On

a similar note, How is the battery tested anyway?

-Ian

"Do the batteries in the SQ-Ai body also power the meter in the prism?"

Yes. In fact, there is a page in the Tamron archives that makes specific types f recommendation for (I believe it is) using Alkaline button cells (as opposed to Silver Oxide or Lithium) when using this meter.

Then Clean your contacts.

Then try meter on second body.

Then?

Hi Large Formatter,

I read the article, and changed the batteries to the more expensive Alkalines, Worked perfectly. Impressive knowledge!

-Ian

Just to add a bit.

There's a battery check button on the same side as the shutter speed dial and above/behind it. Even with a darkslide in place a red led lights up when the test button is pressed and you peer through the finder, so long as battery power is adequate.

There is nothing much wrong with using silver oxide batteries and they will power your camera and finder just fine. The difference between them and alkaline is the way they expire at the end of their life. The alkaline batteries tend to fail suddenly and completely (so you know for certain there's a problem there). The silver batteries tend to limp on whilst not having enough power to support extensive or continued use -such as taking/sustaining a meter reading or making a very long exposure. Thats why you could initially get a reading when you first use the meter.

Given you'd changed the battery recently it is probable that either you have left the prism switched to "on" for a protracted period. Or(less likely) you'd left the shutter collar on and the button pressed against something so emulating an exposure. Either of these could cause pretty rapid battery drain. There are other more serious factors that would cause rapid battery drain too, but most of these affect the camera as well as a prism- for example jamming; shutter speeds not behaving properly and so on.